


The Man Who Never Smiled

by Gulo



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Bromance to Romance, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Time, M/M, Oral Sex, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 18:32:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14795738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gulo/pseuds/Gulo
Summary: Julian means more to Miles than the engineer would ever admit out loud. But here, actions speak louder than words.





	The Man Who Never Smiled

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is not actually terribly explicit, but I thought I'd rate it that way to be on the safe side. I ship Julian with... everybody? But I'm *thirsty* for JxM content, so now I can say it's out of my system. p.s. as of writing this I'm actually still working my way through Season 5 so I've yet to see a lot of how things pan out. EDIT: I finally watched the rest and aaaa!!<333 I wouldn't change anything about this fic. Don't ya love it when that happens? I don't own these characters.

The last few days had been an understated success. They made a delivery of replicator parts, medicine, and other sundries to Bajoran outpost Vadra II. Absolutely nothing of catastrophic proportions happened, nor anything else remarkable; but having attended to various sickly patients there, and also gathered a little extracurricular data for the immunotherapy experiment, the doctor was running on very little sleep. Back within the relatively safe airspace of the station, they could leave the shuttle on autopilot and rest. But as Julian lay in bed and tried to let himself drift into relax mode, despite the exhaustion, his brain was still wired from work. After an hour of lying still, he could not do the same with his mind. Even the reminiscence of a beautiful Bajoran lady at the outpost could not comfort him.

From his own top bunk he could hear a light fapping below. Unmistakable. _Cheeky_. Julian gnawed at his lip. Did Miles really think he was going to get away with it? Even if he was asleep, Julian would have woken up immediately at the chance to be voyeur to his friend's habits. He thought about ignoring it and keeping the secret to himself... but what fun would that be? 

He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, the runabout bunks lit only by the dim glow of the shuttle’s lights in night mode. The fapping and breathing was measured, but became a bit more surreptitiously excited. Julian peered over the edge of his bunk so he could call down. 

"Miles..."

"Huh! S-sorry--"

Julian smothered a giggle. "What are you thinking about?"

A pause. "Sorry." Another pause, where Julian did giggle. Then Miles sort of cleared his throat and turned over in bed, rustling the covers noisily. "Women."

"Oooh. What about them?" Making himself sound sincere, he wanted it to be clear to Miles that he did not, in fact, disapprove of what he had been doing. He felt maybe a little bad about probing, but poor repressed Miles was rarely jocular, and he had to try his luck. 

"Uhh." Miles buried deeper into his bed. "Giving oral, I suppose. _Goodnight_ , Julian."

Julian disregarded the hint. He pulled himself half-over his bunk railing to lounge, drawled, "Mmmmmmm, the taste is the best... I love the way you think, old boy. Isn’t it just wonderful, when it's both sweet and tangy? Piquant? Hmm."

"You talking about a woman or a recipe? Silly knob. Get to sleep."

"Well I can't sleep now!" Julian laughed. "You can't either. Come on, talk with me."

Miles scoffed in disgust. But then he did something unexpected. In a moment of vulnerability, he was inexplicably candid. He grumbled, "That's not the best part. Best part is the intimacy."

Julian was struck. He felt himself suddenly blush. He did not expect this from the chief, who rarely opened up unless he was roaring drunk and, even then, rarely. The confession made him feel warm all over, but he responded sympathetically. "Aw. I know, you must be feeling very lonely right now. Sorry, Miles."

The whole bottom bunk seemed to heave a sigh. Julian bit his lip again and stopped himself from leaping over the rail. "Do you..." the doctor whispered, ever so earnestly, "...do you... want to... cuddle?"

Silence. Again there was an almost imperceptible rustle. Another moment and Julian was just about ready to give up and try for sleep again, when Miles muttered, "Maybe..."

Now he leaped. In no time the lanky doctor was in the bottom bunk and coiling his wirey body around the engineer's solid form. Instinctively his limbs wove in with the bigger man's, legs twining and arms encircling the round waist and hugging in with gusto. And it was only natural how Julian’s head came to rest on his ribs, where could hear the big heart thumping. His own pulse was almost painful in his throat. They both breathed just a little bit hard for a moment as they adjusted and melted in. He somehow managed _not_ to purr out loud, for that would be showing his hand in what was a functional, utilitarian, decidedly platonic cuddle. But the heat between them was suddenly raging even if he kept his embrace just chaste enough that they were not rubbing crotches. Hazily, he wished that they were, but his chest was bubbling with so much pure joy that it didn't really matter. He sighed deeply, and was keenly aware of his friend’s familiar natural scent, like that of woodspice, which instantly calmed and lulled him. His brain shut off. There wasn’t another word and they fell asleep clutching one another firmly throughout the night, at one point switching to a closely interlocked spooning. 

Morning in the form of a landscape animation on the viewscreen awoke them. Julian was surprised to see Miles regarding him with an open expression, a tiny half-smile. He didn't expect the proud, withdrawn engineer to relax like this. He must have been terribly lonely, and Julian felt for him. But it was more than simple sympathy. He really loved the man. He just couldn't help it. He even loved the sourest of his expressions, because saving the times when he was actually angry, it was usually O’Brien’s mask for sardonic amusement. 

He ventured a sleepy caress over his friend's middle, over the t-shirt. Miles pretended to snooze. Julian just smiled, and continued the light rubbing. How wonderful it would be if they could kiss... he felt himself stir and made sure his knees were positioned right so as to not make it obvious. Yes, all good. But how lovely would it be... And what if Miles thought the same? What if he really did? What if he just didn't know how to say it? How should he know? It was not enough that Miles wasn't flinching. But what was the 'go' sign -- that was usually when someone turned their head toward you, almost offering a kiss. Right? 

Before he knew it O’Brien’s hand was covering his, stilling the caress. At first he blushed with self-consciousness, but a second hand enfolded his in warmth. Miles continued to snooze, and so he obliged his friend by snoozing alongside him, listening to the birdsong, for another few minutes, or an hour, or....

Their sleepy gaze met again. Julian did not know how their faces were so close together now, but here they were. Their lips met. His heart almost pounded out of his throat. He inhaled quickly, just enough to keep himself going and tangled fingers in O'Brien's hair to draw him in. The rest of their bodies embraced as the night before, now more firmly, more hotly. So much more hotly. The big man's weight pressed in on him with fervor, the broad hands and stout arms were rubbing his own slim body right back, squeezed him in amazing and delicious ways, made him want to melt into a puddle of helpless goo right on the spot. He could not stop the little sounds that escaped his throat. Miles replied in the form of a low rumbling. 

In trying and especially lonely times, it was always tempting to go to the arms of someone new, someone novel, without bias, with less attachment. Perhaps even, a total stranger. Yet that simply was not O’Brien’s style. He was _not_ a Dabo girl type of man; and he was not a man who could console himself with anonymity, not even in the most otherwise passionate of situations. But Julian was no stranger. Julian knew him well, all too well. 

“Sometimes I really _resent_ how much fun I have with you,” Miles growled, bringing him back to the present. He could see the gears turning in the engie’s head, like he was recalling all the various times they’d lost themselves in a game, playing for its own sake, forgetting about their stupid idiotic egos for a little while, re-living history and even creating epic stories together. It was a very rare thing.

“Sometimes, but not right now?” Julian panted a bit to catch his breath, and wiggled his bum, perhaps just a little more exuberantly than he’d planned.

The chief frowned soberly and frisked Julian’s shoulders. “I resent it less when you don’t lord it over me.” 

Bashir heroically choked back the impulse to quip, to call O’Brien a “sexy daddy” or something similarly inappropriate to distract him unfairly and deflect from the gravity of his mood. But that just was not on. His dark visage bowed in a moment’s thought, but he brought his eyes up sparkling. “I live only to serve,” was all he could whisper, if much more demurely. In fact, the upperclass doctor -- for that was what he was -- had never shown so much humility to the humble handyman, and without so much as a whiff of sarcasm. Miles’ brows quirked, but he seemed satisfied, so naturally, he kissed him to seal the deal; but when they paused to look at each other closely again, Julian hesitated. He did not consider himself a homewrecker. There were some realms where he was shameless, and some where he knew good behavior was its own reward. But here, Julian knew the score. He knew certain things many others didn’t. He knew of Keiko and Nerys’ arrangement, and vaguely, he also knew of their sudden interpersonal affair. That was the whole reason Miles was moping, even if he had agreed to let them pursue their happiness. But what about his own? 

So Julian was emboldened, and even though his face was red-hot, he stammered out, "Miles. I...I want to pleasure you. Will you... allow me?" But he didn't wait too long for an answer. The chief was still a little startled, but his body language said it all. He laid back in bed, his eyes still soft, still smiling just a little, the man who never smiled. 

Julian’s kiss was harder, passionate, returned to him with tenderness, and a moan just under Miles’ breath. Julian wanted more, more more more more, oh yes, finally! finally he was opening up! finally he could share warmth with his lovely bittersweet friend, finally he could touch all over that strong body, explore it, make his mate feel better, make him feel cared for... Miles' shirt was over his head, countless kisses already planted over his chest and stomach, the waistband of his boxers pulled down so Julian could hungrily swallow him. Miles had been expecting a hand, not a mouth! He issued a hoarse shout, his own grip clapped to the doctor's shoulder, squeezing tight. He writhed briefly and wasn't long, poor man, completely pent up and coming all at once, finally with a rather pitiful yelp that made Julian grasp his waist and soft belly and the small of his back just as tightly in reply. He crawled back up and collapsed. Julian’s face hurt from smiling, and Miles, serene. There was more snoozing. At some point their hands loosely clasped again.

O'Brien was looming once more. Bashir had never seen him look the way he did. His face was so utterly guileless, the blue eyes looking both especially poignant, yet not quite _sad_ like they usually were. The furrowed brow was knit, but out of thoughtfulness and not anger, so he even looked a bit... younger. He was very handsome now. Julian offered his radiant smile, which softened his companion even more. The doctor's caress found the side of the chief's face, then he started to get out of bed. "Where are you going?" Miles asked.

"To shower." He was much more than ready to take care of himself.

"Wait..." Miles' hand kept him down in bed, and Julian reclined again, raised brows. He felt himself blush once more as his friend's eyes flickered shyly across his body, shirtless, wearing only tight underpants, draped in duvet. The engineer's face was ruddy now too, flushed as his meaty fingers made a trembling caress over his mate’s chest. Julian didn't know where this was leading, but he liked the attention. He stretched his arms out, then sprawled across the bed totally to soak it all up, and was rewarded by the chuckle he heard. Miles' hand rested on his stomach for a thoughtful moment, then moved again, to his hip, where it rested... and squeezed. Julian wriggled his toes, his feet frisked the sheets as he luxuriated. He really had no idea how far Miles was going to take this, but he let the man explore him at his own pace, saying nothing, occasionally opening slitted lids to peek back.

Nevertheless, his pants were filling out. He was the one who was pent up now. This was pleasant and all but he wondered how much teasing he could stand before he'd just have to take that shower. And if Miles wanted to follow him in, well....

But he didn't have to make that choice, because eventually, Miles' fingertips brushed his crotch instead, and Julian sucked in a shuddering breath. "Please touch me," he found himself moaning, a bit loudly. 

Miles grunted. He was as red as Julian had ever seen the man, even half a bottle in. At long last the calloused but dexterous fingers found their way under his pants' waistband to pull them down and free him from their encasing. He kicked them off and the warm hand encircled his absolutely rigid and dripping cock, kneaded him, pumped him, made him howl and grip the bedding with elation. O'Brien was breathing heavily too, his nose close to his temple to watch Bashir's expressions closely as he worked. The big man next to him smelled so good, even after a night's sleep, like pine sap on a hot summer’s day. He wanted so badly to come, it felt so good, it was so exciting to know his friend cared for him back, he wanted to come!... "M-Miles... I-- ... if you don't stop... I-I'm..."

The engineer paused, his mind seemed to be going a mile a minute. Finally he made a choice. He lowered himself down so he could try this as well. With a high and eager cry Julian spread his legs to offer himself fully, and both hands sunk into the blond curls. He lasted a little bit longer, but not by much. And when O’Brien took him in his arms again, Bashir made quite a show of trembling and whimpering to express his appreciation, for he felt totally renewed, rejuvenated, electrified all over, and not just sexually satisfied -- but the kind of satisfaction, a deep happy warmth settled snugly in his very core, that comes from having shared something truly hot and special with a friend he trusted his life to, and vice versa. 

“That’s so much better....” Miles murmured, with something close to total body relaxation.

Physical affection was good for health and wellbeing. But Julian skipped the lecture. "I am at your disposal anytime, old boy.” 

The tender look beyond words in Miles’ eyes was something he never forgot, would be the thing that Julian thought about time and again, and no matter how lonely he was, that memory brought him solace. 

"King Richard, tomorrow?" Miles suggested casually as he pulled on socks, reminding him that as soon as they were off the runabout and back on the station they had a few days' leave for some holo-fun.

"Hm. Dunno... need a change of scene. Maybe Vietnam jungle?" the doctor muttered. He wasn't ready to leave and start work, the bed smelled like Miles. Like the forest. Like home. 

" 'Nam? You're mad. Doesn't sound fun at all."

"Mmm, we'll make it fun."

"Yeah, probably will, won't we?"

 

~<3~


End file.
